Soo Jin did her best to create noise by throwing herself on the floor in her attempt, a loud thud rang in the room , ‘I need the people below us to know I’m here. I can’t be a burden to Taeyong.’

“Soo Jin? You shouldn’t do that my love.”

Byungshik grabs Soo Jin with a smile, “And maids who don’t know better..”

Going down to her level he pressed his nose to her hair as he sat her up whispering in her ear, “..deserve to be punished.”

As Byungshik was doing his best to be intimate with her Taeyong was pacing back and forth in front of the apartment complex.

‘The one thing I have to protect.

The one thing...

I want to protect’

Making up his mind Taeyong looked up at the second floor with determination.

Taking out his cane he shattered the window to oblivion.

Gracefully interrupting the scene, Taeyong entered the room, glaring at Byungshik who was in the middle of ing Soo Jin’s shirt.

Angered by the disturbance he huffed at Taeyong, “breaking through the window?! I’ll sue you for trespassing!”

Seeing a fearful Soo Jin in his grasp Taeyong was enraged and clicked his tongue, “there’s no need for me to hold back against dirt like you.”

In a brief moment he charged at Byungshik, successfully releasing Soo Jin from his grasp while tackling Byungshik down, “stay away from Soo Jin!”

“Argh! Ow! Ough!”

Byungshik had met with the ground roughly, clutching his arm as Taeyong glared at the man, blocking Soo Jin from him.

Turning to Soo Jin, Taeyong had noticed the tears welled up in her eyes, taking off the gag, he had a softer look in his eyes as he placed his hand on her cheek, “you’re safe now.”

Sniffling, after being unbounded, she clenched her fists tightly, “I’m sorry! Please forgive me! I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble! You’re in the middle of your training and yet.. I..”

Soo Jin was a rambling mess but Taeyong looked at her calmly, wiping the tears that were now streaming down her face with his gloved finger, “there’s nothing you need to be sorry about. It was my fault for being negligent, I’m just glad we managed to save you in time.”

He let out that breath that he was holding in the entire time, “It was scary, wasn’t it? You did so well in being strong until the end.”

Soo Jin was dumbfounded as Taeyong spoke to her with a soft but firm voice, looking up she saw a small smile on his face, “Taeyong… you’re smiling.”

Startled, a faint blush on his cheeks, he looks off to the side with a cough, “what? Shouldn’t you be happy that you’ve seen me smile? So smile back.”

Tears continuing to stream down her face she fails to put a smile on her face, “it’s just..I’m so happy that I can’t properly smile back.”

Thinking to herself as she cried, ‘ you have such a gentle smile right now..this is so..’

“Your smile,”

Taeyong embraces Soo Jin in a tight hug, “I promise to protect your smile. So. please, don’t stop smiling.”

While Taeyong is hugging her Soo Jin couldn’t help but be in a mix of emotions, ‘I can’t believe this is our last time together..

I..

can’t bear it!

My knight.’

The day after the incident, things were back to normal.

Soo Jin bowed her head at Taeyong, “thank you for putting up with me for these three months!”

“No. It was I who learned more from you.”

Johnny hooked his arm around Taeyong’s shoulder with a bright smile, “that’s right! It makes me glad that he’s matured a bit!”

Taeyong rolled his eyes at Johnny’s playful side, “why are you so happy?”

Chuckling at the duo, Soo Jin had a wide grin on her face, “I hope I’ve made myself useful to you.”

Another gentle smile graced Taeyong’s face, “you taught me that it’s not bad to smile.”

Her heart skipped a beat at his smile but her thoughts were interrupted when one of her fellow maids called out to her, “Kang. You have a visitor!”

“Ah! But..” ‘ once they become actual knights. They’ll leave this dorm…’

“Go on. We need to go too.”

“okay,” With a sad smile on her face she bowed at the both of them as they turned to leave.

‘We may never meet each other again..that’s why..’

With a deep breath and a big smile she shouted at the both of them, “take care of yourselves! Good luck with being knights!”

They whirled around to see her retreating figure scurrying away.

Johnny let out a smile as he watched, “she’s so strong. I can’t believe she puts up such a brave front.”

Brows furrowed, Taeyong’s face let out a side smile as he watched her walk away, ‘Soo Jin. you taught me how to serve using my own feelings..

I realized.

That smile of yours..

Had become my happiness..

“My master”
 

‘Who would’ve guessed..’

The maids bowed to Soo Jin as she was getting ready to leave, “We bid you a good day Lady Soo Jin.”

‘That I turned out to be an heiress!’ with a shy smile, “I’ll be off then.”

The person who had visited Soo Jin that day turned out to be her paternal grandfather.

It turned out that her parents had eloped without notice.

And ever since he had heard that they passed away, he’d been searching around for Soo Jin.

Her grandfather was no ordinary man, he was the head of the LG empire, which in turn allowed Soo Jin to be pampered.

‘Even though we just met.. He’s pampered me enough. He’s even paying for my school.’

Looking at her neatened and crisp uniform she let out a sigh, ‘ I’m not used to living like a princess. I just can’t seem to be truly happy now.. Just last morning he said, “I’ll have a present for you tomorrow morning!” because he was worrying about me being an LG heiress..but what could it be? I don’t need any more fancy things..’

Walking into the gates of her school she let out another sigh and made her way to her classroom, opening the large wooden doors.

“Good morning, Lady Soo Jin”

‘That voice’

Looking up from her thoughts she saw a familiar figure kneeling in front of her, right arm crossed with his hand over his heart.

She took a sharp intake.

“Starting from today, I am at your service.

My name is Lee Taeyong.

From now on, I won’t leave your side.

I will protect you.

Always.”

Taeyong was smiling at Soo Jin, “and,” his right arm was held out for her to take, “to fulfill my promise of protecting your smile.”

Soo Jin gladly grabbed his outreached hand as he got up waiting for her to reach his arms.

Embracing her as if he could lose her any moment he let out the promise he would fulfill, “I will always be with you.”

FIN